


Mirrored Lives

by fragileKnight1



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Role Swap AU, hipsterKate, punkVictoria, religiousMax, richbitchChloe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 01:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28735056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragileKnight1/pseuds/fragileKnight1
Summary: Kate left town five years ago because her dad got a better job in Seattle and finally got her chance to come home as a student at the illustrious Blackwell Academy with a full scholarship provided by the Graham Foundation, but her dreams of a better life on campus were quickly broken by the walking terror, the queen bitch of Arcadia Bay, Chloe Price, but a reunion with her now punk childhood best friend, Victoria Chase, turns things around for her in ways she wasn't expecting.
Relationships: Victoria Chase/Kate Marsh
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Punk in Repose

Kate sighed and slipped her earbuds into her ears to drown out the sounds around her. She was feeling overwhelmed by school and by life and was planning on just disappearing into her room but then Chloe, aka the Queen Bitch of Blackwell, stepped into her path and used her lackeys, Dana and Juliet, to herd her outside where Chloe took her backpack and dumped the contents out on the ground. The paints and the pencils scattered everywhere and then Chloe picked up her sketchpad and started to flip through it with a thin grin.

"Please give that back." Kate tried to grab the sketch pad but Chloe shoved her away, "Those are personal."

"You aren't bad." Chloe laughed and tossed the sketch pad to Dana, "For a fucking creep. Don't you have anything better to do besides stare at people and paint them?"

"I don't draw people without permission." Kate grabbed her sketchpad back from Dana and pressed it to her chest, "Don't you have anything better to do than torment people?"

"What was that?" Chloe grabbed Kate by her jacket and threw her to the ground hard, "You listen when I speak and you don't talk back. Today you get a warning but if it happens again I will take that sketchpad and set it on fire."

Kate waited for Chloe to walk away before trying to clean up the mess and as she stood someone tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Don't let her get to you. She thinks money actually makes her someone important."

Kate turned and gasped in shock when she realized that the voice belonged to Victoria, except that the fashionista and future beauty queen she knew five years ago had gone full punk rocker. She had shaved her head, had spiked studs sticking out of her right ear, and was wearing black leather outfit with black combat boots that had yellow laces.

"Vic?"

"I thought you wouldn't recognize me." Victoria shook her head, "I know I barely recognized you. You have really let your hair grow out and you are really rocking that hipster artist look."

"I didn't..." Kate fidgeted and slipped her backpack over her shoulder, "I meant to visit you when I came back, but things got real crazy around here."

"It is cool." Victoria smiled, "I heard you were back from a girl that goes here. She hangs out at the lighthouse sometimes and she told me about you. I was going to come over immediately but figured you would want to settle in. Wish I had come sooner though. Do you want me to get Chloe to back off?"

"You know her?"

"We used to hang back when I still went here." Victoria looked up at the school, "It was kind of fun at first but I was starting to figure a lot of shit out and Chloe wanted me to stay in line with her ideas and with the Vortex Club's standards. Our friendship ended when I shredded the cash and credit cards she had in purse."

"Wow." Kate shook her head, "That is pretty hardcore."

Victoria shook her head and laughed, "This calls for a celebration, and I am not talking booze or drugs. No, I am talking about something that is far worse for you than any of those things. How much do you remember about the triple fudge milkshake with marshmallow fluff at the Two Whales?"

"I remember me throwing up in the backseat of your mom's car after your tenth birthday."

"Well yeah, but you ate a plate of chicken nuggies, a hamburger, one and half plates of French fries, and then that milkshake that day."

"Only because you dared me to do that."

Victoria wrapped her arm around Kate's and they started to walk to the parking lot, "I remember no such dare."

Kate shook her head and said, "You don't remember it because you lost and don't want to pay me the thirty dollars you promised."

"Right...right..." Victoria laughed, "Well consider today the first step in me paying off that debt."

Kate stopped when she saw that Victoria was walking her toward a beat up motorcycle and backed up when she was handed a helmet, "I am not getting on that."

"It is perfectly safe." Victoria climbed on and slipped her helmet on before revving the engine, "Come on hop on."

Kate put the helmet on over her beanie and snapped the buckles before climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. She carefully put her hands on Victoria's hips and said, "I am ready to go I think."

"You got to really hold on." Victoria laughed and pulled Kate's arms around waist, "Don't be afraid to get close."

Kate started to blush and was so glad that Victoria couldn't see her. She pulled herself tight against Victoria's back and tried not to scream as Victoria pulled out. She settled into the position and let the smell of motor oil coming off of Victoria's jacket drown out her other senses.

\------

Kate pulled out her sketchpad and looked at Victoria who was stretched out on the booth with her head resting on the window. She sharpened her pencil with the intention of making just a rough sketch but once she got started she found it impossible to stop. She ignored the waitress when she brought them their milkshakes and only came back to reality when Victoria flicked the wrapper of her straw at her head.

Kate closed her sketchpad and said, "Sorry I guess I zoned out."

"Zoned? You traveled to a whole other planet." Victoria laughed, "So do I get to see it at least?"

"I...I..." Kate held out the sketchpad nervously, "I normally don't draw people without permission so I am sorry for that."

Victoria opened the sketchpad and her eyes went wide as she started to smile, "Holy fuck this is awesome! Can I have this? I mean not now but later when I can keep it safe. And can I name it? Punk in Repose."

Kate laughed nervously and started to smile. She had heard compliments before, but hearing them from Victoria made her feel weird and confused. She had a lot she wanted to say but all she could manage was, "I guess...yeah you can have Punk in Repose."

"You are amazing!" Victoria handed the sketchpad back to Kate, "One day your pieces will be every museum in the country and private collectors will be fighting for the chance to have one."

"I don't think that is true." Kate took a sip of her melted milkshake, "So what about you? Do you still take pictures?"

"Eh..." Victoria shrugged, "Not really. Lost interest in photography like I lost interest in a lot of things. Never tell yourself that something is pointless because once it is gone it is gone for good."

"You just need to find something to inspire you." Kate slipped her sketchpad back into her backpack, "Once you find that thing that reignites your spark you won't be able to stop."

"Well I guess there might be something that has caught my eye recently." Victoria smiled and leaned forward, "So how was Seattle?"

"It was okay." Kate took another sip of her milkshake, "I didn't really do anything. I wasn't good at making friends, and tried to stay at home as much as possible."

"Well that is depressing." Victoria leaned back, "So why did you come back?"

"I got a scholarship from the Graham Foundation to go to Blackwell." Kate pushed aside her milkshake, "I was hoping for a fresh start but ended up being the same person I was back in Seattle. What about you? How have you been?"

"Well my parents are still divorced and I have been basically raising myself for the last five years while my mom travels across the country for her photography."

"Why not go live with your dad?"

"His new wife wanted him to have a clean slate and that meant I was tossed aside." Victoria stood and started to pace, "Bastard gave me five hundred dollars the last time I ran away to visit him and told me not to come around ever again so I used the money to set his Porsche on fire."

"What?"

"Joking." Victoria laughed, "I just poured canola oil into the gas tank."

"Well your dad is an asshole."

"Damn I want to scream right now." Victoria laid a handful of money on the table, "Grab your bag and I will show you one of my favorite places in this shithole."

"Alright."

Kate picked up her bag and laid a twenty on the table. She had no idea what Victoria was planning but there was no way she was going to leave her friend alone at the moment, because Victoria seemed particularly angry and destructive. She followed Victoria across the street and paused for a moment to contemplate going to jail for trespassing before hopping the barricade blocking the path up to the lighthouse. She wandered over to the ruins of the lighthouse keeper’s cabin and nearly jumped out of her skin when Victoria screamed.

Kate ran over as Victoria screamed again and said, "What are you doing?"

"When life starts to get to me I come up here and scream." Victoria smiled, "You should give it a shot."

Kate looked at Victoria as she started to scream again and let her own fears go as she stepped up and started to scream as well. She screamed until her lungs hurt and sat down on the rusted out bench with a laugh as she said, "Holy shit that actually worked. I feel awesome."

Victoria sat down and squeezed Kate's thigh, "I am really glad you came back."

"Now that we are together again I can say that I am glad that I came back as well."


	2. Chapter 2

Kate woke at her desk the next morning to the sound of her phone's violin tune and smiled when she saw it was Victoria. She quickly tapped the screen and said, "Morning."

"Morning." Victoria replied, "Are you free today? I have something I want to show you."

"My first two classes don't matter so that gives us a few hours."

"Hell yeah." Victoria laughed, "I am in the parking lot so don't leave me waiting."

Kate hung up and quickly got dressed in the same clothes she wore the day before and started out of the dorms but heard Chloe in the bathroom saying, “Are you going to call out to God like a good little Christian?”

“Please...”

Kate froze at the sound of Max’s voice and felt anger boil up inside of her. Max was the sweetest and kindest person on campus and only an absolute monster would even think of hurting her. Within seconds she was in the showers and stepped in between Chloe and Max. She stared down Chloe and said, "Back off."

Chloe shook her head and shoved Kate backward into the shower door before trying to grab Kate's backpack, ""You just made the worst mistake of your life."

Kate screamed at the top of her lungs and slammed her fist into Chloe's chest causing her to back off, "No more. I am tired of being afraid of you!"

Chloe rubbed where Kate hit her and took off her fancy leather jacket, "I was wrong before. That was the worst mistake of your life."

Chloe threw Kate out into the hallway and Kate took the opportunity to run but Chloe was about to let her go. The chase went on until the fountain and Chloe slammed into Kate and kicked her as she tried to crawl away.

Before the fight could continue though Victoria came running in and knocked Chloe into a tree. Victoria took off her coat and tossed it to Kate as she said, "This has been coming for a long time you psycho bitch."

"I wasn't the one who got expelled, you jealous slut."

Victoria let Chloe punch her in the face first before they started grapple and punched with the ferocity of two wild dogs and Chloe even bit down on Victoria's shoulder before they were finally torn apart by campus security. In a matter of minutes Kate, Chloe, Max, and Victoria were sitting in Dean Madsen's office with the school nurse trying to get Victoria to submit to her attempts at first aid.

There was only silence for nearly a half an hour before Joyce showed up with an attorney along with two security officers. Joyce glared at Victoria and said, "Why isn't this girl in handcuffs?"

"Because she didn't start this."

Dean Madsen picked up his remote and hit a switch to turn the painting behind his desk into a television screen and then hit play on a video that clearly showed Chloe chasing Kate before Victoria showed up to stop the fight only to have Chloe punch her in the face.

"This is your daughter’s sixth offense in the past year, Ms. Price." Dean Madsen shook his head, "Now I have been lax in my duties due to your contributions to our school and with the emotional distress that was caused by the death of Chloe's father, but I cannot look the other way any longer. I am going to have to expel your daughter for the safety of our other students."

"I am going to sue..." Joyce stopped when her lawyer put his hand on her shoulder and clenched her jaw when she saw him shake his head and started over by saying, "What if I promise to get Chloe proper psychiatric care to help her resolve these anger issues."

"Unfortunately Ms. Price that compromise is no longer on the table." Dean Madsen shook his head, "Your daughter has only herself to blame for this. Now as for the rest of you. Max since you were just a victim in all of this I see no reason for you to be here, and Kate, you are suspended for four days pending a review of your scholarship. As for you, Victoria, the video clearly shows that your actions were in self-defense, but I do not want to see you on campus grounds without a visitor's pass again or else I will have you arrested for trespassing."

"It won't happen again." Victoria stood and picked up her jacket, "Come on, Kate, let's get out of here before we cause any more trouble for Mr. Madsen."

Kate grabbed her bag and looked at Mr. Madsen before following Victoria out to the parking lot. She tossed her bag on the curb and sat down before saying, "Well I am screwed."

"What on earth possessed you to pick a fight with Chloe?" Victoria shook her head, "I thought you realized that under those imported slave labor clothes is a merciless rage monster."

"Max was in trouble and I had to do something."

"Well yeah, Max is cool." Victoria smiled, "Quotes the Bible too much, but takes great pictures. This is not over by a long shot though. Do you know what Chloe did to me after I destroyed her cash and cards?"

"Got you expelled?"

"No that came first." Victoria rubbed the back of her neck, "She smashed up my room with a baseball bat. I told my mom I didn't do it but I was already starting to rebel, and had gotten expelled so she didn't believe me and sent me to a therapist. Do you have anything valuable in your room you don't want to lose?"

"I am going to text Max and tell her to move a few things into her room until I can pick them up." Kate pulled out her phone, "Do you think Chloe will come after us off campus?"

"No," Victoria shook her head, "Her plan right now is probably to head to the junkyard to get high, drunk, or a combination of the two."

"I really don't understand what her problem is with me."

"It could just be that you have a family that cares about you." Victoria sat down next to Kate, "She was pretty cool before her dad died. I think she was even friends with Max back then, but her dad's death broke something in her and she started to project all of those traumatic feelings onto others."

"Therapy speak?"

Victoria laughed, "That obvious?"

"Just a little." Kate sent Max the list of items to save from Chloe's wrath and stood, "I wonder how Dana and Juliet are able to stay on her good side?"

"I suspect they are just kinky bitches that get off on being ordered around."

"So what did you want to show me?" Kate stood, "I now have four days that are completely free and possibly might have even more afterwards if they decide to revoke my scholarship."

Victoria took hold of Kate's hands and smiled as she said, “And ruin the surprise by telling you?”

“You could at least give me a hint.”

Victoria smiled, “Nope.”

Kate walked over to the motorcycle and picked up her helmet. She slipped it on and said, “Do you think you could teach me how to ride this thing?”

“Maybe one day.” Victoria shook her head and climbed onto the motorcycle, “But not today.”

“Fine.” Kate climbed on the back of the motorcycle and pulled herself close to Victoria, “But I will ask again.”

  
  
  


\------

Kate was off in another world when the motorcycle stopped and she froze when she saw that they were at the World of Wonder Amusement park as in the greatest place in the world, or it had been five years ago. They had made it their mission to win all of the games back when they were ten but weren’t able to even win one cheap prize before they had to head back to Arcadia Bay. Now though it was a mere shell of what it had been, or perhaps it was just that she had lost her ability to see it with childhood wonder. The Screaming Banshee was shut down, the clowns running the games looked depressed and creepy, and then they reached the Ferris Wheel whose operator was a badass looking woman with an eyepatch over her right eye and gun on her hip. 

Victoria fist bumped the woman and climbed onto the first available cage. She kicked up her legs on the opposite seat and tapped the spot beside her so that Kate would sit next to her. She waited for the ride to get started before finally saying, “I know this place is about as glamorous as a fertilizer factory but I still love to come down here ever so often.”

“It definitely has changed since we were kids, but this,” Kate leaned looked out over the ocean, “is a view that the kid Kate wouldn’t be able to appreciate.”

“It really is a beautiful view.” Victoria looked at Kate with a smile, “So after this, I want to check out the Hall of Oddities? There is no place like it anywhere else. It has the most amazing lies including a bigfoot skeleton.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun.” Kate grabbed a hold of Victoria’s hand when the cage shook and quickly pulled away when she realized they were okay. “I thought we were going to stall.”

“Oh that does happen ever so often.” Victoria laughed, “If it did we could be stuck up here for hours. Just the two of us.”

“Not funny.” Kate laughed, “I don’t have my drawing pad and would have to start carving drawings into this rusted paint.”

Victoria smiled and said, “I could think of something else we could do.”

“I am awful at most games.” Kate shook her head, “So I doubt playing cards with me would be enjoyable.”

Victoria sighed and shook her head, “You are hopeless.”

Once the Ferris Wheel made a full rotation Kate let Victoria take her by the hand and lead her to the House of Oddities, a large building that was built out of the old haunted house with the massive grinning devil still in place to really set the mood.

Victoria quickly handed the attendant ten dollars to pay for both of them to be able to enter and the first display was a taxidermy two-headed crocodile named Hydra. Kate barely had time to examine it before she was pulled away to the famed Bigfoot skeleton, a very well made plastered piece set up in the familiar Bigfoot pose.

Victoria then moved on to a collection of jars displaying various fetal aliens, and said, "This place is so cool. Can you imagine being the person whose job is to design and create these displays?"

"It would be fun for certain." Kate pulled Victoria down a dimly lit hallway featuring x-rays of people with birth defects with detailed plaques talking about each deformity and their histories with traveling carnivals. "They obviously love their jobs."

"They also have a wax museum dedicated to the most famous Freaks, but it is closed at the moment in anticipation of new displays." Victoria stepped down into a hallway dedicate to the art of taxidermy chimeras and said, "This is one of my favorite sections. Hybrid animals worthy of fantasy stories and nightmares."

Kate looked at a raccoon with wings that was fighting with an opossum with two horns that looked like they had been cut from deer antlers, "Okay this is worth the entrance fee. I kind of want to leave a tip."

"I hoped you would love this." Victoria pointed to a display featuring rats with fish tales that were set up to seem like they were spawning like salmon, "Strangely that makes me hungry...Want to take the risk getting something out of one of the food carts or do you want to head back into town for burgers at the Two Whales?"

"There is another hallway."

"I don't like that one." Victoria wrapped her arm around Kate and started to lead her to the exit. "That is the Serial Killer Wax Museum, and the only fascinating thing down there is their Jack the Ripper display which suggests that the Ripper was an unknown American tourist."

"That is an interesting idea..." Kate looked at Hydra one more time before leaving and complimented the attendant on his fascinating collection before walking up to the hotdog cart since it had the highest grade and ordered two chipotle cheddar dogs. She handed over six dollars for the hotdogs and gave one to Victoria, "Sorry, I forgot to ask if you liked spicy food."

Victoria took a large bite and fought back tears as she chewed and swallowed it, "Like it? I love to be punished for eating."

Kate shook her head and took a small bite, "This was a lot of fun today."

Victoria finished her hotdog and dried the tears running down her cheek, "We are not done. There is one last place I want to take you."

"Oh where?" Kate took two bites from her hotdog, "Because it is going to be hard topping this."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't try."

Kate finished her hotdog and said, "Before we do this second thing can we stop by Blackwell? I want to pick up the picture I drew of you."

"You framed it?"

"Last night." Kate smiled, "Can we..."

"Definitely going back to Blackwell first because that ties in perfectly with my second destination."

"Thank you." Kate tilted her head, "Also what to do you mean it ties in perfectly with the second destination?"

"You will see."


	3. Chapter 3

Kate quickly went back to her room to avoid talking to other students about what had happened earlier and let out a sigh of relief when she found her room hadn't been destroyed. She cleared the junk off her desk and started to look for her sketchpad when she remembered that was one of the items she asked Max to protect. She added some extra pens and pencils to her bag before heading across the hall and could barely hear Max talking with someone but when she knocked the voice went silent.

Max opened the door a crack and said, "Hi, Kate what do you need?"

"I am looking for my sketchpad."

Kate stepped through the door when Max backed away and she looked around the room at all of the photographs while Max pulled a box out of the closet. When she reached for a picture of Chloe and Max dressed up like pirates Max snatched the picture away and said, "Your stuff is in that box. I don't mind watching it for you but you should just take it back to your room."

"I would, but I am afraid Chloe..."

"Chloe wouldn't do anything to you." Max snapped and grabbed the cross hanging around her neck. "Please just go."

"You are defending Chloe? She is a bully and was ruling this school with an iron fist." Kate crossed her arms, "She deserved to get expelled."

"She did nothing wrong!" Max took a deep breath and stepped over to the window, "You have no idea of who Chloe really is."

"I have suffered at her hands since the first day I moved into these dorms. What is wrong with you?"

"She..."

Kate stopped arguing when she saw that Max was crying and said, "What is going on?"

"She wasn't..." Max sat down and pulled her Bible out from under her pillow, "She wasn't bullying me. My brain is telling me to shut up and to see Chloe getting kicked out as a blessing because now I won't be tempted. My heart though is done with me hiding the truth. Me and Chloe have been...having...we were...we are more than friends and we have been for almost two years. She is out and has come to terms with who she is but I am not so please don't tell anyone."

"So what I heard in the bathroom..." Kate shook her head, "If she is so great then why has she been torturing me? She has some pretty severe issues and I don't want you to get hurt."

"She would never hurt me and I was finally getting through to her before you ruined it." Max swallowed, "She hates herself because she believes it is her fault her father died and that hatred has torn her apart on the inside. I know I can't make you forgive her but if you could actually talk to her when she is away from the Vortex you will see that despite all of her anger she is a good person."

"I think you are just too close to this to see the truth." Kate reached out to Max but got her hand smacked away, "Chloe may be troubled and she may want to get help but she has hurt people. She even pushed me so hard once I locked myself up in my room for a weekend..."

"And that is when we became friends." Max hugged herself, "I tried to get Chloe to apologize because she was ashamed of what she had done, but she wasn't yet to that point in her recovery."

"If she was actually ashamed then she would have stopped."

"It is the Vortex." Max shook her head, "She doesn't want to abandon the friends she has made in that club even if they don't have her best interest at heart and has to keep up appearances. Ask yourself this, besides that one really awful incident have the others been as bad? The answer is no."

"Max, we are friends and nothing will stop that, but I think you are wrong." Kate shook her head, "I think you are just making excuses and the real reason this troubles you isn't because you are hiding the fact you are gay."

Max stood and picked up the box. She looked down at it and then forced it into Kate's arms, "Get out and please don't bother me anymore today. I need time to think and pray. I will text when I am ready to talk to you again."

"I didn't mean..."

"Please leave."

"I am sorry, Max."

Kate walked out of the door and sighed as she carried the box back to her room. She just dropped it on her bed and added the sketchpad to her bag before walking out of the dorms. She knew that she was right about Chloe but something was still bothering her about it and the idea of visiting Chloe burrowed into her mind and she couldn't shake it. Maybe Max was right. Maybe if she got a chance to talk to just Chloe she would be able see the Chloe that Max was talking about.

\-------

Kate's mind wasn't able to focus on anything besides Max and Chloe for the entire ride over to Victoria's house and she wasn't even able to act surprised when she saw that not much about the old Victorian had changed in the five years she was away. Unfortunately Victoria was able to pick up on her inner turmoil and got the wrong impression.

"Shit you didn't want to come here did you." Victoria took a hold of Kate's hand as they walked toward the front door, "I am..."

"I am really happy to see this place." Kate forced herself to smile, "I remember how we used to play hide and seek for hours because of all the nooks and crannies there were to hide in and I remember that one Halloween when we played with a spirit board in the attic because it was raining to hard to trick or treat and then the power went out."

"Oh god our war against the ghosts that ended with us covering my dad in flour and maple syrup." Victoria laughed, "I get the flour, but why did we think maple syrup would stop a ghost?"

"We wanted it to be so sticking it could move I think." Kate shrugged, "I was seven at the time and you were eight. Who knows what was going on in our heads."

"So before we go inside..." Victoria fidgeted, "Can you tell me what is on your mind?"

"I want to but I can't." Kate squeezed Kate's hand, "It is between me and another friend of mine and to tell you would be a breach of their trust."

"But it is bad?"

"I think so, but that is all I will say." Kate slid her backpack off her shoulder and pulled out the framed picture, "Here is your Punk in Repose. I wrote the title on the back."

"This is awesome!" Victoria hugged Kate tightly and said, "I think Shelmy will love this."

"Shelmy?" Kate blushed and as Victoria pulled away, "Did you get another turtle?"

"Unfortunately he is the only turtle I have at the moment." Victoria looked down, "Mortimer Magnus Magnifico had an accident featuring a stray ball and a lava lamp that left him dead. My mom then tried to get me to get a normal pet for a girl like a cat so I countered with a python that was bigger than me so she chose another turtle as a compromise."

"Is your mom home?"

"No she is in West Virginia right now." Victoria opened the front door and quickly turned off the alarm, "If you ever want to come over and hang out the code is three ones and a zero."

"Should you just tell me that?"

Victoria shrugged and said, "Does it really matter? If someone wants to rob this place they can have it. Hell if you want something grab it. My mom will either not notice it is missing or think I pawned for drug money and replace it."

"You don't do drugs do you?"

"No, but I won't argue with my mom." Victoria walked to the stairs and said, "It is the only time she really shows any concern for me...or maybe it is disappointment because I never have any drugs on me."

"So..." Kate fidgeted and followed Victoria up the stairs, "I don't know how to answer that."

"You don't have to." Victoria smiled, "It is nice to know that you care, but I don't need you to help me through my issues. I got a really good therapist for that."

Kate stepped into Victoria's room and shook her head at how bright it was. Although the walls were covered in posters the neon pink of their childhood still bled through. She even had the canopy bed that had often become their private fort during sleepovers only now the canopy was crimson instead of pink. She walked over to the turtle enclosure and watched Shelmy eating away some leafy greens before saying, "Your room is the perfect mix blend of chaotic energies."

"I had a wall of anime figures but Chloe destroyed those, and I haven't gotten around to replace them yet." Victoria walked over to Shelmy and hung the picture above his enclosure, "At least she wasn't cruel enough to hurt this little guy."

"Do you think Chloe could be faking?" Kate sat down on the bed, "Do you think what she is doing is just an act to impress her friends in the Vortex?"

"No." Victoria sat down, "I know a couple people in the Vortex and she scares them."

"What if she doesn't..."

"You saw her...the real her today." Victoria crossed her arms, "Did you think that was an act?"

Kate shook her head, "I was actually afraid she was going to kill me."

"Then that is your answer." Victoria took a deep breath, "Now let's stop talking about that bitch and gather up some movies to watch on the insanely huge flatscreen in the family room."

"Independence Day?" Kate smiled, "Or perhaps something that is more boom than plot."

Victoria slid open the storage area under her bed and pulled out a sizable stack of DVDs, "Tonight no one will be falling asleep. We shall gorge ourselves on pizza and the whatever junk foods are left in the pantry because I forgot to go shopping."

"How long has your mom been gone?"

"Five months." Victoria started out of the room, "She sent me a postcard last week saying she missed me and that she was going to be back before Christmas."

"That is fucked up."

"Or is it amazing?"

"No it is just fucked up." Kate shook her head and jogged down the stairs after Victoria, "What happens if you get hurt?"

"Sorry, I have decided to tone out this conversation." Victoria sat the DVD's down on the coffee table in front of the television. "This is movie time not parental trauma time. I am going to the kitchen to gather the supplies and I want you to pick the first movie."

Kate sighed when she realized that she had crossed a line that she shouldn't have with Victoria and decided to make it up to her by picking her favorite movie of all time, Cujo, even if that movie still freaked her out. She took a deep breath and put the DVD into the player before moving all of the cushions from the couch to the floor.

Being back in Victoria's home made her feel like a little kid again. She could almost hear her younger self laughing with Victoria as they played video games on Victoria's Playstation. But then her memories drifted to their last week together when she had to break the news to Victoria that she was moving and then she remembered the pact that they had made. It was some ridiculous nonsense that Victoria had read or come up with, but when they said it back then it meant everything to them.

Victoria snapped Kate back to reality by tossing a bag of chips at her and said, "You are an absolute master of shutting out the world. You need to teach me how to do that."

"I was thinking about the pact..."

"Like how the stone thinks not of the burden it is holding as the wall is built upon it, how the fish in the river thinks not of the fish in the ocean, time thinks not of mortals and their desires." Victoria smiled, "So we must think of these things for them. If we do not think of these intangible ideas then we will not think of the truth they may hold for us. Time may separate two people but they will still be connected. A fish may think he is alone when he has a family lost in the ocean, and the stone may crumble if the brickmason doesn't ease its burden."

"You remember it."

"It is the opening paragraph of my fantasy story." Victoria laughed and sat down as she finished her online order for three pizzas, "Never finished it but I got a strong three page start."

"You should try and finish it."

"I am working on it." Victoria laughed, "Before reuniting with you it only had one page. If I keep this up I might be finished with it in another five years."

"Victoria..." Kate bit her lip and she took a deep breath, "I am really happy we are friends again, but I...I have been having these thoughts when I am around you and I don't know how to deal with them without ruining this. I like pressing myself to you when we ride on your motorcycle. I like the smell of motor oil on your jacket."

"I like how you smile. I like how you see beauty in everything around you." Victoria fidgeted, "I like how when I take you to what is definitely the worst amusement park in the world your eyes still shine with wonder. The real reason I didn't talk to you when you first came back to town was because I was too nervous. You came back as this beautiful, and talented woman and I was just a rich girl with issues trying to be a tough punk."

"I want to kiss you." Kate smiled, "Can I kiss you?"

Victoria turned to Kate and kissed her softly on the lips, "Sorry, I wanted to do that all day."

Kate slid her hands around Victoria's head and pulled her in for another kiss, "I like the taste of your watermelon lip gloss."

"Not lipgloss." Victoria laughed, "I found a watermelon sherbet in the freezer and ate what was left before coming in with the trolley of treats."

"No fair you should have shared."

"Next time I will make sure there is enough for the both of us."

Kate kissed Victoria again and snuggled close to her before hitting play on the movie. They were able to watch a few minutes before the pizza arrived and they spent most of the night laughing at old jokes and memories as they fought over the pizza until Victoria fell asleep in Kate's arms.


End file.
